Palestinian Campus Protester Leqaa Kordia Freed After Year in ICE Detention Under Trump Campus Crackdown
Leqaa Kordia, the last protester held in ICE custody after the Trump-era campus crackdown, was released on March 16, 2026 on a $100,000 bond after DHS declined to appeal an immigration judge’s third bond order, ending about a year in detention. At her release she vowed to keep fighting for others still detained at Prairieland and called the system unjust; her case has drawn scrutiny after the NYPD provided sealed protest-arrest records to federal authorities (telling the city they were needed for a money‑laundering probe) and DHS had previously framed her family remittances as a security concern.
📌 Key Facts
- Leqaa Kordia was released from ICE detention on March 16, 2026, on $100,000 bond after the Department of Homeland Security declined to appeal an immigration judge’s third bond order.
- Kordia had been the last protester held after former President Trump’s campus crackdown and spent about a year in ICE detention.
- At her release Kordia appeared on camera, pledged to keep fighting for others still detained at the Prairieland facility, and said there was “a lot of injustice in this place.”
- The New York Police Department gave sealed records of Kordia’s protest-related arrest to federal authorities after telling the department the records were needed for a money‑laundering investigation.
- DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin had publicly accused Kordia of “providing financial support to individuals living in nations hostile to the U.S.,” framing family remittances as a security concern.
📊 Relevant Data
The Palestinian American population is approximately 160,000 according to the 2023 American Community Survey, making up about 0.05% of the U.S. population.
Palestinian Americans - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
In FY2023, the suspected in-country overstay rate for non-Visa Waiver Program countries, which include most Middle Eastern nations, was 3.2% of the 9,810,543 expected departures.
Entry/Exit Overstay Report — Homeland Security
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminated national-origins quotas and opened doors to increased immigration from non-European regions, including the Middle East, leading to growth in communities such as Palestinian Americans.
How U.S. immigration laws and rules have changed through history — Pew Research Center
As of March 2025, the U.S. had revoked at least 300 foreign students' visas as part of efforts to clamp down on pro-Palestinian campus activism.
Marco Rubio says US revoked at least 300 foreign students' visas — BBC
Remittances from the U.S. to family in Gaza have led to ICE detentions in cases where transfers are scrutinized as potential support to hostile entities, as seen in instances involving Palestinian Americans sending aid during conflicts.
She Sent Money to Family in Gaza. ICE Claimed It's Terrorism Support — The Intercept
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms Kordia was freed on March 16, 2026, on $100,000 bond after DHS declined to appeal the immigration judge’s third bond order.
- Adds Kordia’s on-camera reaction at release, including her pledge to keep fighting for others still detained at Prairieland and her description of 'a lot of injustice in this place.'
- Specifies that NYPD gave her sealed protest-arrest records to federal authorities after telling the department they were needed for a money-laundering investigation.
- Notes that DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin previously criticized Kordia for 'providing financial support to individuals living in nations hostile to the U.S.,' framing family remittances as security concerns.